March Madness 2025: Houston defeats Gonzaga 81-76 in NCAA Tournament Round 2

HOUSTON - The Houston Cougars are headed to the Sweet 16.

The University of Houston’s men’s basketball team defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.

By the numbers:

No. 1 Houston beat No. 8 Gonzaga 81-76. This is Houston's sixth straight Sweet 16.

Houston ended Gonzaga’s run of nine straight Sweet 16s, which had been the longest active streak in the nation.

What they're saying:

"Gonzaga is as good as anyone we’ve played all year," Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said. "Had they been seeded somewhere else, that’s a team that could have had a chance to get to the Elite Eight, or maybe the Final Four. They’re that good."

"It ended up being just a great, great basketball game, especially the way our guys fought their way back into it. I’m so proud of the way they hung with it," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "Houston was everything and more than we thought it would be."

WICHITA, KANSAS - MARCH 22: Joseph Tugler #11 of the Houston Cougars shoots a layup against Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at INTRUST Arena on March 22, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by An

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Who will Houston play next?

What's next:

Houston will play Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen.

Purdue handled 12th-seeded McNeese State 76-62 earlier on Saturday. In the first round, the Boilermakers defeated 13th-seeded High Point 75-63.

The game will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, making it basically a home game for Purdue.

When is the Sweet 16?

What we know:

Sweet 16 games will be held on Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28.

What we don't know:

The time of the games has not been released.